Baseball | 3/6/2019 8:15:00 PM
Emporia State Hornets (6-6, 4-2 MIAA)
vs William Jewell (5-5-1, 0-0 GLVC)
Live Stats
Thursday, March 7 • 3:00 p.m. • Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Series History: ESU Leads 17-10 • Last Meeting: ESU 10, WJC 3 (Feb. 14, 2019)
Up Next: vs. Fort Hays State • March 10-11 • Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
MIDWEEK MATCH-UP
The Hornets play host to William Jewell on Glennen Field at the Trusler Sports Complex on March 7 at 3:00 p.m.
LAST AT BAT
Emporia State completed the three game sweep (13-4, 4-3, 6-5) over Lindenwood on Friday, March 1. The Hornets took the lead early in game one and never trailed, scoring multiple runs in four separate innings including a five run bottom of the sixth. Tanner Cairns pitched 7.0 innings with four K's in the single game on Thursday. In the first game of the double header on Friday, the Hornets never trailed as the Lions tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the ninth, with runners on second and third, Christian Roduner scored on a wild pitch to give the Hornets a 4-3 win. Drew Scrimsher got the win on the mound pitching 2.1 innings allowing no runs with one K. In game two of the double header, the Hornets trailed 5-1 heading to the bottom of the ninth. With five hits in the inning, the Hornets rallied to tie the game at 5-5 with one out. With runners on second and third, Alex Pener got a walk-off single to right center field to wrap up the Hornets series sweep with a 6-5 win. Brian Grove led the Hornets with two runs and two hits in the game. Drew Repp was the Hornets fourth pitcher in the game and received the win pitching 1.0 innings with one K.
THE COACHES
Seth Wheeler is 6-6 in his first season as the Hornets head coach. Over the past three years as a pitching coach at Emporia State, Wheeler has led the Hornets to the second best ERA in the MIAA at 4.60 improving from sixth in 2014. He is 2-1 against the Cardinals. Â
Harley Douglas is 113-105 in his fifth season as head coach of the Ichabods. He is 6-10 against Emporia State.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 6-6 on the season, 4-2 in the MIAA. The Hornets have 64 runs on 90 hits with ten home runs. Hornets pitchers have held opponents to a batting average of .266.
At the Bat
Cooper Minnick leads the Hornets with a .300 batting avg., with nine runs including two doubles and one home run. Alex Pener leads the Hornets with nine rbi.
On the Mound
Jake Barton leads the Hornets with a 2.45 era in four starts. He has pitched 22.0 innings with 15 K's. Tanner Cairns has four starts with a 3.08 era and 22 K's through 26.1 innings. Out of the bullpen, Drew Scrimsher has six appearances with a 2-0 record with a 2.89 era in 9.1 innings.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
William Jewell is 5-5-1 on the season. Nick Gavin leads the Cardinals with a .394 batting avg. and five doubles. Anthony Hansen leads with 15 hits and eighth rbi. Mack Stephenson is 1-0 with a 1.69 era and 28 K's in four starts.
LAST TIME AGAINST WILLIAM JEWELL
Emporia State defeated William Jewell 2-1 in the three game series (7-11, 4-3, 10-3). In game one of the series, the Hornets led early, but fell 11-7 after the Cardinals had a seven run eighth inning to take the lead. After a slow start in game two, the Hornets took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. After the Cardinals tied the score in the ninth, the Hornets got a walk-off single from Paul Claassen for the 4-3 win. In the final game, the Hornets scored in six straight innings and had 14 hits en route to a 10-3 win.
UP NEXT
The Hornets will be the visitors on the scoreboard against Fort Hays St. on March 10-11 at the Trusler Sports Complex.
Wheels on the bus
On Friday, June 22, the Emporia State Hornets announced the hiring of Seth Wheeler as the 15th head coach in Hornet baseball history. Wheeler spent the previous three seasons as the pitching and catchers coach at Emporia State. The Hornets had the second best ERA in the conference at 4.60 over his three seasons after ranking sixth in the league in 2014. Emporia State was 110-52 with three trips to the NCAA Tournament and an MIAA regular season championship with Wheeler as an assistant in the dugout.
He began his coaching career with the Junction City Brigade, a collegiate wood bat team that competes in the Mid-Plains League, the summer after graduating from Central Missouri. Wheeler served as the hitting coach as the team went 26-10, won the MPL and led the league in runs per game. During the school year he was an assistant coach at Butler CC. He was in charge of catchers and base running for the Grizzlies who led the NJCAA in stolen bases with 157 on the season.
AROUND THE HORN
First baseman Alex Pener (Jr./Overland Park, Kan.) has six runs on eight hits and seven rbi this season. In 2018, Pener took a medical redshirt at Mississippi State.
Second baseman Brian Grove (Sr./River Falls, Wis.) has six hits and three rbi this season. He started 55 games at second base for the Hornets in 2018 hitting .301 with 59 runs scored. Grove also added 14 doubles, three triples, and four home runs on his way to a .449 slugging percentage and MIAA All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition.
Shortstop Josh Norlin (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) has eight hits with seven runs including one home run and three rbi this season. He attended Dallas Baptist University in the fall of 2018 before he transferred to Emporia State and took a medical redshirt after an injury early in the season. As a Sophomore in 2017, Norlin hit .404 for Neosho County with an on base percentage of .536. Norlin had 18 doubles, four home runs, 50 RBI and 55 walks. He was named second team All-League SS.
Third baseman Paul Claassen (Sr./Denver, Colo.) has 11 hits with seven runs including two home runs and two doubles. He played in 55 games as a sophomore at Barton CC in 2017. He had a batting average of .290, .370 slugging percentage, and a .432 on base percentage. 12 doubles, two triples, and three home runs with the Cougars.
Catcher Cooper Minnick (JR./Leon, Kan.) leads the Hornets with a .300 avg and 12 hits including one home run and two double. He redshirted for the Hornets in 2018. As a sophomore at Neosho County, he hit .359 in 217 AB's with 21 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, and 69 RBI's. Minnick was named First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region, third Team All-American, and earned the Gold Glove as a catcher in the Jayhawk Conference.
OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Mitch Sloan (Sr./Paola, Kan.) leads the Hornets with ten runs on eight hits with six rbi. As a junior, Sloan transferred to Cameron University where he played in 29 games. He hit .338 with 68 hits, 16 doubles and five home runs as a sophomore at Fort Scott CC.
Outfielder Aaron Dees (Sr./Burlington, Kan.) has a .296 batting avg. with six runs on eight hits including two home runs. He transferred to Emporia State from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Outfielder Connor Hurst (Jr./Augusta, Kan.) has four runs on six hits with six rbi for the Hornets. In 2018, As a Sophomore at Butler Community College, he hit .385 with an OBP of .476 and finished the season with 69 hits including 12 doubles, 4 triples, 18 Home runs, 64 RBIs, 57 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. Was named First Team All-Jayhawk Conference Outfield and Second Team All-Region VI.
ON THE MOUND
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Cairns (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) has thrown 26.1 innings with 3.08 era and 22 K's this season. He threw a total of 88.0 innings in 15 appearances with all 15 being starts in his junior season. He had a record of 9-1 with an ERA of 4.04 and had an opposing batting average of .279 to earn All-MIAA third team honors
Right-handed pitcher Jake Barton (Sr./Omaha, Neb.) has thrown 22.0 innings with 15 K's with a 2.45 era this season. He medically redshirted the past two seasons. In 2016 he logged 72.2 innings in 14 starts at Johnson County Community College. He was 8-1 with six complete games and 83 K's allowing just 30 earned runs with an era of 3.72.
Right-handed pitcher Drew Scrimsher (Sr./Oskaloosa, Kan.) has a 2-0 record out of the bullpen with six appearances. He has a 2.89 era through 9.1 innings pitched. In 2017, his junior year, Scrimsher appeared in 12 games for the Hornets. In 15.1 innings he struck out 13 batters posting a 5.87 ERA.
